Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Morton's The Steakhouse: The Legend Lives On (And For Good Reason)!

By: Anne M. Raso

The luxurious Morton's Steakhouse on Fifth Avenue is as great as ever and I think ever steak maniac should have it on their "bucket list"! There is a nothing like a prime piece of Midwestern grass-fed beef grilled in a specially made broiler just for the restaurant--and you can watch from one of New York's most luxurious dining rooms that actually has a dark yet modern ambiance. Wait, let's make it more of a Hollywood glamour ambiance! The decor is definitely Hollywood movie star inspired with oversized ceiling lamps and comfy banquets with the wonderful, brightly lit cook staff area at the helm. On the trip downstairs to the restrooms, black and white photos of current Hollywood megastars line the walls including one of then late 30s George Clooney with Morton’s staff.

Every great Morton’s meal starts out with their hot and fresh Onion Bread, and I ate a whole loaf with fluffy salted butter by myself! I then asked for a “refill,” it was THAT good! Then I ordered the 12-ounce filet mignon done medium rare ($53) with three sides--Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Horseradish Mashed Potatoes and Mac And Cheese (all sides at Morton's are a reasonable $13 and oversized). All of Morton’s meat—thanks to their custom broiler—has a nice charred edge to it, whether you order your steak rare or well done. This is a trademark and its customers love it. There are many side sauces and butters offered for the Morton’s meats, including classic Béarnaise Sauce. I wanted to taste my meat in its purest form and declined on trying the sauces. I will say that as expected, my filet experience was world class. I really did not even need the provided steak knife to cut it. To borrow the age-old Brooklyn expression, “the meat was like buttah”!

Mac And Cheese

The sides were so full of flavor—the Horseradish Mashed Potatoes were whipped nice and firm (how I like them) and the horseradish was not overpowering. The Mac And Cheese was made with ridged curly cue pasta, aged cheddar and heavy cream. It could possibly be the ultimate comfort food. I think a little truffle oil was slipped into the mix as well. The Roasted Brussels Sprouts was a huge three-cup portion and they were obviously roasted with onions, bacon and OVOO! As you might imagine, my dining partner and I had to take home doggie bags on these and everything tasted even better heated up two days later—if that is even possible!

Cooking Steak!

For dessert, my dining partner and I shared the Grand Marnier Souffle ($14) and Apple Crisp ($14.50). Keep in mind that the soufflés made need a half hour prep time, so your wait staff person will check in with you about a half hour before dessert time to see if you are ready for them to put it in the oven. I have to say that the while the Apple Crisp is done in an old-fashioned style with a tower of French crumbs and a big scoop of Haagen-Dazs vanilla with caramel sauce on top, the Grand Marnier Soufflé was one of the dessert highlights of my entire “foodie” career. I can still see its beautiful golden brown color and the elegant way the server cuts it in half for you and your guest. The alcohol taste was pretty much eliminated after being baked and the subtle orange taste of the liqueur shined through. This dessert is a triple wow! I would go to Morton’s post theater to have this item alone and close my evening out with a sugar rush!

Apple Crisp

The Morton’s credo since opening their first eatery in 1978 back in Chicago has been: “Quality. Consistency. Genuine Hospitality.” You certainly get all of that in spades. Wait staff goes through a corporate training class according to the server I got—who also trains new waiters and has been with the Morton’s organization three decades. People spend almost a lifetime at this company—which now has about70 restaurants worldwide—and it’s great to know that they treat their employees as great as their customers. I adored not only the world class service I got from friendly assistant manager Nobel Gonzalez and server Jeff Keene--who have been with the company 18 and 21 years respectively including corporate training of new employees--but I loved the ambiance of being in a luxurious steakhouse with its own niche in the beef lovers’ world. I will definitely be going back to try the giant Porterhouse in the near future—and I also plan a road trip to their Great Neck destination to compare it to the midtown Manhattan location! (They do offer a gluten-free menu to those who need it, BTW, but Morton’s is attentive to any dietary restriction a guest might have.) In a nutshell, Morton’s is a class act—with Béarnaise on top!